The Press Box.

Yashin Prepared To Rejoin Senators

The impasse between the Ottawa Senators and Alexei Yashin appears to be drawing to a close. The Senators have called a news conference for Saturdayto announce Yashin will be returning.

Yashin sat out the entire 1999-2000 season in hopes of renegotiating his contract, even though a year remained at $3.6 million.

In June an arbitrator ruled that Yashin couldn't circumvent the terms of his contract by sitting out a year. He said Yashin owed the Senators another year of service at the contracted salary and that he wouldn't be declared a free agent until he fulfilled the terms of his deal. Yashin tried to have the decision overturned but an Ontario court judge refused to hear Yashin's case last week.

- John LeClair has given the Philadelphia Flyers a deadline of midnight Sunday to reach an agreement on a multiyear contract.

LeClair, the NHL's leading goal-scorer over the last five seasons, says he won't negotiate during the season or sign a deal during the free-agency period afterward. The Flyers are believed to be offering a four-or five-year deal that averages $7.5 million to $8 million a year.